Aston Villa will feel that they have one foot in the next round of the UEFA Europa League after their first-leg 3-1 win over Bologna.

They'll still need to do a professional job when the two teams meet on Friday, April 17 (06:00 AEST), but Unai Emery's side will be feeling confident that they can do it…

Quick Picks

Our pick: Aston Villa to win

Value bet: 'Yes' in the BTTS

Long shot: Watkins to score anytime

Betting Preview

After finishing second in the League Phase, the Villains are considered the favourites to win this year's competition. Indeed, they showed many why with their performance in the first leg in Italy last week.

Ezri Konsa managed to score at the perfect time for the visitors, as his goal just before the half-time whistle gave them the edge. Ollie Watkins would then find the back of the net twice in the second to give them the two-goal cushion that they hold heading back to Villa Park. Jonathan Rowe had scored to make the tie 2-1 in the 90th minute, but Watkins added his second deep into stoppage time.

It wasn't a bad performance from the Serie A betting outfit. They had more shots on goal (11 to 8), but they could only manage four on target (same as the Premier League side). They had more of the ball (58%), but they couldn't take advantage of having the most of it.

With Vincenzo Italiano's side having only experienced one loss beforehand, also to Villa (1-0 in England), they'll need to be at their very best if they are to turn things around. Villa won't make it easy, as they've only had one defeat to this point.

Betting Markets to Watch

Unsurprisingly, Aston Villa have been made big pre-match favourites to win this contest in the latest betting odds at Sportsbet. Indeed, with the 1-0 victory in MW1 on top of the first-leg 3-1 road trip, it would seem The Villains have the upper hand.

Villa are also on a fine run of form in the UEL this season. They have won each of their last eight Europa League betting matches. It's hard to ignore this statistic.

As a result, there's value worth exploring elsewhere in this game. We think there's value in the 'Over 2.5 goals' hitting, as it has hit in four of Bologna's last five Europa League away matches. It's also worth noting that it has only hit in two of Villa's five home games.

The 'Both Teams to Score' market hitting also offers value based on what happened last week. It has hit in each of Bologna's last three Europa League matches, while also occurring five times in 11 of Aston Villa's matches.

Our Prediction

Check the latest Aston Villa vs Bologna betting odds at Sportsbet.

Our prediction is that Aston Villa are the likely winners of this match. We think the Villains' exceptional record of eight wins in a row and their earlier 1-0 victory at Villa Park is enough to give them a win once again and qualify.

In the long shot, we think Watkins to score any time offers value. He's had a difficult season but found some form in the last game.

For punters looking to explore more soccer betting opportunities, Villa's Premier League odds also remain worth monitoring as they push for European qualification domestically.